Reset: A travelling showcase that celebrates Indian talent

At a time when international headliners are the norm for every major festival in the country, Reset, an electronic music showcase, steps away from the expected by curating only home-grown Indian talent. After kicking off in Hyderabad on Nov. 1 and then going to Bengaluru on Nov. 15, Reset will head to Pune on Dec. 6 before concluding in Chennai on Dec. 13.

The property has been conceptualised by artist management agency UnMute and events specialists Phoenix Live. Conceptualised as a continuous series of showcases in unconventional venues, Reset celebrates domestic talent and seeks to introduce fans to the sounds and skills of some of India’s best dance music DJs and producers, as well as up-and-coming talent, playing b2b (back-to-back) sets.

On the bill for the showcase at blueFROG in Pune are established DJs and producers like Arjun Vagale, Kohra, Praveen Achary, BLOT!, M.Mat, Jitter, Pawas, Ankytrixx, Oozeundat and Qwiver. Unlike other editions, where the entire lineup has been techno-focussed, Pune sees the inclusion of live electronica acts Big City Harmonics and Sandunes. Like Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Pune too had a DJ competition (open only to Pune residents), wherein two local DJs out of 35 entries were chosen by UnMute to share the Reset stage. Audio Glitch and Color Ray were declared the winners and will open proceedings next week.

Commenting on the property, Techno DJ/producer Arjun Vagale, Director, UnMute, said: “Our aim is to bring world-class production, the best sound-system we can get our hands on, with top artists from the Indian scene along with upcoming local talent into one space to create a special journey. Reset is all about the music. I’m stoked about returning to India and playing at Pune. It’s a city I’ve played some great gigs in and Reset will be nothing short of spectacular.”

Explaining the rationale behind Reset, Artist Manager and Director at UnMute Agency, Dev Bhatia, said: “We wanted to showcase the quality of dance music artists in India with large scale events and quality sound, instead of following the tired-old format of bringing a headliner DJ. Funktion One is the industry standard worldwide for festivals and clubs, and it had to make its way here, and thanks to Phoenix Live, Reset became a reality.”

Adding further, Bharath Varma, MD, Phoenix Live, said: “We share the philosophy that Indian talent is just as good as any international artist. Our forte as a company is producing events that are original, with exceptional production standards and with Reset.”

Tickets for all four editions of Reset are available on http://resetindia.com/ and on the day of the show at the venue.

Conceptualised by UnMute and Phoenix Live, the electronic music showcase will travel to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai.